Chapter 1: Introduction to Parts Work
Note: I did change these questions mid-course! :) I think these reflect the nature of the relationship we want to build with inner figures more deeply than the previous questions I wrote.
Who or what are you? If you could choose an archetype, myth, or symbol to represent yourself, what would it be?
What qualities, strengths, or energies do you embody?
Do you have a name or form? If not, what do you want to be called, and how do you choose to appear to me?
How are you connected to larger archetypal patterns or myths in the archetypal imagination?
When and how did you first come into my awareness?
Were you influenced by my personal, cultural, or ancestral heritage?
Have you always existed, or have you changed form over time?
What do you want from me, and what do you hope to offer in return?
Do you act as a helper, a challenger, a protector, or something else?
Are you tied to a particular issue, part of myself, or life phase I’ve navigated?
What is your relationship to other figures within me, or to the larger patterns of my psyche?
Do you collaborate or conflict with other parts of me, and why?
How do you perceive me? Do you feel I understand you fully, or do you think I avoid, suppress, or misunderstand you?
What would an ideal relationship between us look like?
How do you communicate with me? Through dreams, impulses, feelings, or something else?
If I ignored or avoided you, how would that affect you and me?
What questions do you want me to ask you that I haven’t thought of yet?
What shadow or hidden aspects of myself do you reveal?
These questions aim to create a rich dialogue that acknowledges the figure’s autonomy while also uncovering the deeper psychological patterns they represent. They position the figure as both a mirror of the self and a doorway to the archetypal imagination.
